Emirates Airlines announced a schedule update revealing that it will be doubling its Airbus A380 flights to Madrid. This means that the superjumbo will now operate twice daily, a frequency that has not been available since before the pandemic in early 2020.

This is just the latest in a series of changes involving the A380. Recently, it was reported that the aircraft will not be used for flights to London Gatwick in October and November, and it will also be withdrawn entirely from Copenhagen. On a more positive note, Etihad has reactivated its final A380 aircraft, and Singapore Airlines will also be using the double-decker plane for flights to Dubai.

Emirates has been serving the Spanish capital since August of 2010, and according to data from Cirium Diio, it has utilized a variety of aircraft types on this route including the A330-200, A340-300, A380, 777-200ER, 777-200LR, and most frequently, the 777-300ER.

The A380 has been operating flights to Madrid since August of 2015, and it has been used for 44% of flights between then and the end of 2026. Initially, the aircraft was used on a daily basis, but in September of 2017, Emirates began offering a double daily service. This frequency was last available on a regular basis in March of 2020, although there were briefly two daily flights available in 2022.

Currently, Emirates operates two daily flights to Madrid, one using the 332-seat 777-300ER and the other using the 517-seat A380. However, the latest schedule shows that starting June 1st, all flights to Madrid will be operated by the A380, just in time for the peak summer season when demand is expected to be highest. This schedule will continue until November 30th, after which there will be a daily flight using the 777 and a daily flight using the A380.

Beginning June 1st, one flight will be operated by the 517-seat A380, while the other will be operated by the 468-seat A380, which is the lowest-capacity A380 in Emirates’ fleet. This means that there will be 1,970 seats available for sale, which is a 16% increase from the previous schedule. There will also be more premium economy and economy seats available, and for the first time, Madrid will have more premium economy seats than ever before.

Emirates offers daily flights from Dubai to Madrid with the following local times:

Dubai to Madrid: 7:40 am-1:30 pm (A380) and 3:25 pm-12:35 am+1 (A380)

Madrid to Dubai: 2:30 pm-8:20 pm (A380; replaces the 777-300ER) and 10:10 pm-7:15 am+1 (A